thepope

My Feedback: (1)

Yesterday was such a nice day I decided to rush out at lunch time and fly my Seamaster. I use it for my camera ship and the Fall colors are at their finest right now. I use an Airtronics computer radio and had used it the night before for flying my Extra. You all know where this story is going now don't you? The throttle and rudder and elevator were ok but things went really bad when I got her up to flying speed and started to use aeilerons (they were backwards). I wound up running into my pontoon boat and doing some good damage to the front of the Seamaster but it's repairable. A good lesson about doing a preflight and checking controls!!!
Bill

cruzmissile

seems like a whole bunch of folks these days are forgetting which direction the ailerons are suppose to go. I always think of it in an aerodynamic aspect. If the aileron goes up on a wing, it will push that wing down.

Scalebuff

These coomputer radios are grate things but ya need to double check em ...

you were lucky its was just your aeilerons, i had mine set for another plane that used elivons, i dont want to go into detail but it wasnt pretty lol, all in all it cost me a weeks work just because i didnt double check my damn radio .....

Jim_McIntyre

I can relate.

I fly mostly JR but acquired a Hitec Prism 7 somewhere along the way.

Who would have though Hitec programs their exponential backwards to JR!!!

The maiden flight on my Triplane had a very highly sensitive elevator (which is highly sensitive anyway)... after some hairy PIOs I finally dumped her in the tall grass with minor damage.

flyboy1950

Guys ... this isn't about computer radios, it's about preflighting the airplane and checking control movement before each flight. If your not in the habit of doing that everytime ...
especially with multiple airplanes stored in a computer radio (This adds a whole new dimension!), you are going to loose airplanes. It really hurts to loose one that way!!
I'm about to launch my Hanger Nine 1.50 P-51 that I have spent weeks doing scale detailing and modifying for the first time next weekend. It'll be about $1600 airborne (not as much as the 3-d guys!) and I certainly I don't have the time invested that a guy does when he builds from a kit or scratch, but I'm not going to risk it buy getting careless. I guess being a "Full-Scale" pilot for 30 years has helped to ingraine that thinking. Remember, your not just risking the aircraft, someone could get hurt!
Think about it. Preflight everytime! Okay, I'll get off my soapbox (sorry, I just spent 45 minutes in traffic. Flyboy1950

Jim_McIntyre

You're correct.

But, the multitude of options do make pre-fligt more complex...

The Triplane I mentioned was my competition plane, 3 years in the making and I shudder to think in terms of dollars (I bought lathes and drill presses etc. to complete). Not to mention all important flying time lost in repairs before competition.... I still don't know why I didn't use my tried and true (and most familiar) radio. ???

sirrom

My Feedback: (4)

I don't know why everyone says that preflight with a computer radio is more complex. I think actually it makes preflighting much simpler.

Think of it this way. I have one radio (Futaba 9Z) that I use to fly all my planes with. The first thing I do when I turn on my radio is watch the screen to make sure that it says the plane name on it, check the battery voltage, and check the frequency (synthesized tx module). That is always the first thing I do before each flight. With the old radios I used to have if I got into a hurry heading to the field I would grab the wrong radio or charge the wrong radio for that day or have the wrong freq. module in the radio I needed. Now instead of haveing 4 or 5 transmitters, I now have 1. Over the years I have come to have a mental checklist that I go over without really having to think about it.


I think what happens is people get in a hurry to get out to the field to fly and just don't think about what they should be doing.


patrick.

norcalflyer530

i fly full size too but i was taught the thumbs idea which i use for flying my models
if you push the stick to the right the right aileron should be up of you go to the left with the stick it should be up.... easy enough.... works for pre-flight on models and ful size
Oliver

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

It surprises me how many people hook their ailerons up backwards and never do pre-flights. To me, a pre-flight check is mandatory. Flying without performing a check on your aircraft is approaching criminal.

nedyob

My Feedback: (67)

I had an incident happen just about the same way, but with the throttle.
I was flying my Big Stik one day and the next day I took my Cap 232 out and forgot to switch to the Cap program. I checked all the surfaced before starting, but didnt look inside the cowel to see if the carb was open or shut.
I started my cap up and it went to full throttle, good thing I had my plane in a plane restraint or the Cap would have walked right up my arm.
Needless to say I programmed the right plane in right away. Now I double check my TX when I take it off the charger and each time before I fly my plane.
NEDYOB

thepope

My Feedback: (1)

For those that mention hooking up ailerons backwards or not knowing the difference that wasn't the problem!! I forgot to change models on my radio and because I was in a hurry I didn't check the controls. I flew full size in my youth and preflights were automatic and from now on it will be with my rc flying. Thanks for all the replies, I knew lots of people could relate to my experience.
Bill

electricfan

My Feedback: (1)

i always preflight my planes before EVERY flight even if im flying more than once on the same day. one time the receiver got hot from the sun and when i gave full right ail. or up elevator, the whole plane went crazy. i finally figured out it was the sun heating the receiver up. so just always check your planes before you fly. its frustrating when you find out the plane's reversed in the air.

micky_ray

I got lucky a couple weeks ago with this same thing. I had been flying my trainer for a couple days before I took my stick out to the field and forgot to change the program on the radio. I preflighted by watching the ailerons and they travelled correctly. However when I went to take off the plane would not gain altitude and just cruised right off the end of the runway into tall grass (it never even left the ground). Turns out the elevator is reversed between the two models. Luckily for me I was able to kill the motor, and after a bit of a walk to retrieve the plane had several good flights that evening once I switched the radio to the correct model. I now check every control surface for correct travel.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

I never do a preflight before each flight, but I do make sure that my controls look good. Range check is not perfomed. I also check my battery charge after landing not before the next flight. I find that the packs get stronger after they rest a little

Jim_McIntyre

Hmmnn... now was that special mix on ULT1 or ULT2, and did I assign that to Mix1 or Mix 2.. nope I think I added it to flight mode 2 but I have to remember to have Landing mode off....

kenthaas1

i got to the Field late on race day q500 my 1 plane had a bad servo on the motor so i flue my backup after lunch went to #1 plane it went in the air but their was way to much thro in it i ask my caller what plane was on my tk he said #3 wow i said thats plane #1 in the air i did manged to get it down now all my planes have the # and channel on it so i hope not to do it twice lol

Scott Claboe

My Feedback: (9)

Great thread.Mabey it will save some planes.It happend to me on my 6xas.Flying two planes that day.Actually moved the plane # but forgot to set.You probably know what happend next(epoxy and CA)!!Anyway I use a radio that says that planes name now.But it taught me to preflight each and every time I fly.Period!!!

Scott Dilley

My Feedback: (3)

Preflights shouldn't start at the flightline. Something that I have started is that I ensure that all the models (1,2,3, etc.) are set up so that the direction of travel on each control surface is the same no matter which model I fly on. Results: if I forget to switch models, I am not flying a backwards airplane, just one that is badly out of trim. This little bit of forethought will hopefuly save a plane someday.

Jim_McIntyre

Ok;

- so I have 1 plane with a servo mounted on the left side of the fuselage by the tail with the pushrod coming off the top of the servo to the underside of the elevator (to keep the geometry correct).

- next plane uses push pull to the elevator so the same side of the servo previously mentioned now is in a closed loop to a horn on top of the elevator.

How does your method work with this setup?[sm=confused.gif]

sigrun

Not if you think about it.

A simple acronym suited to even the average R/C flier's temperament is CATS which effectively covers it all.

C ontrols - test full & free deflection and observe working in the correct sense
A ntenna - extended
T rims - set for take off
S witches - correct model selected, rates set for take-off, et al

Other than the ubiquitious brain-in-neutral 'technique', it can't get a whole lot simpler than this. If you can learn the 12 times table, this is a proverbial piece of p*ss!

The only thing stopping most R/C fliers from doing so is either a total lack of awareness of pre-flight chex and the importance of their role (blame the 'instructor' and/or training 'syllabus'), or insufficient personal self-discipline.

thepope

My Feedback: (1)

Just an update to my story. I had my Seamaster repaired pretty fast after my little accident but didn't get a chance to fly it until today. It flies just like new but I had to modify the colour scheme as I didn't have enough blue covering. I also had to make a new nose cone out of styrofoam and it turned out pretty good.
I'm going to try posting a before and after pic but sometimes this dial-up setup craps out 1/2 way through the process.
Bill

ric_lamb

In the UK, the BFMA Handbook has the following as an acronyn to remind you about safety on the flying field:

Be S.M.A.R.T. with your transmitter.

S...switch on
M...meter in the green
A...aerial secure and extended
R...rate switches all in correct positions
T...trims all in correct positions

This should be part of anyone's pre-flight checks. I don't think it should matter wether you have a computeer or manual tx - anything to jog the memory must be good, so - why not have SMART CATS??

Cheers

Ric